T$laiti 


Part  of  Exhibit  on  Religions  of  the  World  shown  at 
STUDENT  VOLXRSfTEER  MOVEMENT  CONVENTION 
Kansas  City,  Mo„  December  31, 1913— January  4. 1914 


Tslam. 


6od  $0  Coved  the  morld  tbat  fie  gave  fii$  only  begotten  Son. 


Rise  and  Disintegration  of  Tsiam. 

Islam  came  into  being,  theoretically  perfect  and  complete, 
claiming  to  be  a world-reltgion, 

a final  revelation  through  Mohammed,  finally  interpreted  by  his  Companions. 
But  it  satisfies 

neither  the  human  intellect  nor  the  human  heart, 

Hence 

it  has  always  been  swayed  by  the  tendency 
on  the  one  hand  to  on  the  other  hand  to 

Rationalism  Mysticism 

ending  in  Materialism;  ending  in  Pantheism. 

But  however  strong  the  tendency,  it  swings  back  again  to 
The  Dead  Centre  of  Traditionalism 
and  Orthodox  Islam  of  to-day  is  the  Orthodox  Islam  of  the  8th  century. 


Sources. 

Islam  borrowed  from  three  main  sources: — 

Arabian  Heathenism  Judaism  Corrupt  Christianity 

together  with  Zoroastrian  especially  chiefly  the  Apocryphal 

ideas.  the  Talmud.  Gospels. 

Founder 

Mohammed,  born  570  a.d.,  began  to  prophesy  610,  Hij’ra  622,  died  632. 


Thirteen  Centuries  of  Development. 

After  Mohammed’s  death  followed  a period  of  consolidation  and  expansion 
until  the  Great  Schism,  which  gave  rise  to  the  Sunnis  (orthodox)  and  Shiahs 
(pantheistic).  The  next  five  centuries  were  marked  by  the  rise  of  scholastic 
theology,  the  influence  of  Western  thought,  the  founding  of  the  Der\-ish  Orders 
and  the  recognition  of  the  Sufis  (mystics)  in  Orthodox  Islam. 

Then  came  600  years  of  stagnation  under  Turkish  influence.  A period  of  re- 
vival set  in  at  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  To-day  national  move- 
ments are  stirring  in  Turkey  and  in  Persia. 

Britain  is  now  the  chief  political  power  in  the  Moslem  world.  There  are 
82,000,000  Moslems  under  British  rule. 


Sects  of  Islam. 

The  two  great  divisions,  Sunni  and  Shiah,  stand  for  the  Orthodox  and  Pan- 
theistic position.  The  Sunnis  cling  to  the  Koran  and  Traditions.  The  Shiahs 
look  for  the  Iman  or  Messiah-to-come.  The  great  bulk  of  Moslems  arc  Sunnis. 
The  Mohammedan  idea  of  God  which  separates  Him  from  man  and  the  world 
explains  why  Suhism  arose  to  satisfy,  with  its  mysticism,  the  hunger  of  the 
soul  for  God,  and  on  the  other  hand  accounts  for  the  cynical  atheism  of  Omar 
Khayyam. 


modern  movements. 


Rational. 


Traditional. 


Neo-Islamic  School  in 
India 


Wahabis. 


Denies  the  miraculous  and 
interprets  the  Koran  ration- 
alistically. 


Puritan  reformers 
holding  to  the  right 
to  private  judment. 


Mystic. 

Babis  and  Behais 
chiefly  in  Persia. 

A mixture  of  Sufiism  and 
Universalism. 


The  Great  Senussi  Order, 

to  which  are  affiliated  all  the  Dervish  Orders,  aims  at  uniting  all  orthodox 
Moslems  into  one  Federation  free  from  all  secular  control,  and  so  presenting  an 
effective  barrier  to  the  forces  of  European  civilization  and  the  modern  spirit. 
It  is  at  present  the  mightiest  force  in  the  Moslem  world. 


tfie  Challenge  of  Islam. 

Alone  of  non-Christian  faiths. 

Islam  claims  to  have  judged  and  superseded  Christianity. 


Islam  JIfTirms. 


The  Unity  of  God. 

A conception  majestic  in  simplicity 
but  sterile. 

God  is  aloof,  passionless,  needing 
no-one,  loving  no-one. 
Character  is  overlooked  in 
emphasising  unity. 


The  Might  of  God, 

Absolute,  autocratic  will-power, 
acting  apart  from  reason  and  love. 

A greatness  that  crushes. 
Submission  to  such  a God  tends  to 
fatalism. 


The  Mercy  of  God. 

The  spasmodic  clemency  of  a despot, 
lenient  to  sin  as  well  as  to  the  sinner. 
No  deep  hatred  of  sin;  no  sense  of  the 
cost  of  forgiveness. 

No  need  for  atonement. 

The  Fact  of  a Sinless  Prophet— 
Jesus. 

Son  of  Mary. 

"Word  of  God,"  "Spirit  of  God" 
who  worked  miracles,  ascended  to 
Heaven  and  will  come  again. 

The  Unique  Relation 
to  God  of  a Sinful 
Prophet — Mohammed. 

Final  revealer  of  God  to  men. 


Islam  Denies. 


The  Fatherhood  of  God. 

"Like  as  a Father  pitieth  His  children." 


The  Holiness  of  God. 

"Thus  saith  the  High  and  Lofty  One 
Whose  Name  is  Holy, 

I dwell 

with  him  that  is  of  a contrite  and 
humble  spirit  to  revive  the  spirit  of  the 
humble." 


The  Mystery  of  the 
Incarnation. 

"One  God  and  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  men, 
the  Man,  Christ  Jesus." 

“The  Son  of  God 

Who  loved  me  and  gave  Himself  for 
me." 


The  Fact  of  the  Cross. 

"Christ  Crucified 

the  Power  of  God  and  the  Wisdom 
of  God." 


The  Presence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

“He  shall  guide  you  into  all  Truth. 
He  shall  glorify  ME." 


**  Islam  defies  your  King.’* 

(Cable  sent  by  Cairo  Student  Volunteers  to  the  1900  Conference.) 

On  the  gateway  of  the  Church  of  St.  John  the  Baptist 
at  Damascus,  now  a Mosque,  still  stand  the  words 


Thy  Kingdom,  O Christ, 

Is  a Kingdom  of  all  Ages. 

A Call  to  Prayer 

“That  they  may  know  Thee 
the  only  true  God 

and  Jesus  Christ  Whom  Thou  hast  sent." 

Chy  Kingdom  Come. 


I$|gm  g missionary  Religion 

BECAUSE  OF  ITS 


Conviction 


6od  is. 


There  is  no  Cod  but  Cod.** 

"These  are  in  the  Garden  and  "Holy,  Righteous  Father." 

I care  not; 

And  these  are  in  the  Fire,  and  "God  is  Love." 

I care  not. 

So  He  is  Allah  Most  High,  " In  all  their  affliction 

the  King,  the  Reality."  He  was  afflicted." 


Sense  of  Vocation 


6od  mills. 


Man  is  the  Servant  of  God.*’ 


Allah  is  not  to  be  asked  concerning 
what  He  does. 

He  is  the  Guider  aright  and 
the  Leader  astray.” 


Missionary 


Whose  service  is  perfect  freedom. 

“I  have  called  you  friends." 
"The  good  and  acceptable  and 
perfect  Will  of  God." 


Purpose 


five  Deus  Uult 


The  World  for  God. 


"O  ye  who  believe,  kill  the  idolaters 
wheresoever  ye  shall  find  them 
and  take  them  prisoners  and 
lay  wait  for  them." 

Islam  can  and  does  use  methods 
which  Christianity  must  delib- 
erately and  necessarily  refuse. 

"Great  God,  if  I were  not  stopped 
by  this  raging  sea,  I would  go 
on  to  the  nations  of  the  West, 
preaching  the  unity  of  Thy 
Name  and  putting  to  the  sword 
those  that  would  not  submit." 
Akbah  on  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic. 


"Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  the  whole  crea- 
tion.” 


" The  weapons  of  our  warfare  are  not 
carnal  but  mighty  through 
God." 

"We  are  ambassadors  on  behalf  of 
Christ  as  though  God  were 
entreating  by  us;  we  beseech 
you  on  behalf  of  Christ,  be  ye 
reconciled  to  God." 

St.  Paul  to  the  Corinthians. 


Response  To-day. 


I Delight  to  do  Chy  mm, 

0 my  6od. 

Every  Moslem  a missionary  of  his  Every  Christian ? 

religion — such  as  it  is. 


Kyrie  Eleison. 
Christe  Eleison. 
Kyrie  Eleison. 


Part  of  Exhibit  on  Religions  of  the  World  shown  at  Student  Volunteer  Movement  C onvention, 

Kansas  City,  Mo.,  Decemb.;r  31,  1913-January  4,  1914. 


Refertnee  books  suggested: 

Gairdner.  W.  H.  T..  The  Reproach  of  Islam. 

MacDonald.  D.  B.,  /.spects  of  Islam. 

Rodwell.  j.  M..  Tracslatlon  of  the  Koran. 

Sell.  Edward  B..  The  Faith  of  Islam. 

Wherry.  E.  M.;  Zwemer,  S.  M..  and  Mylrea.  C.  G..  Islam  and  Missions. 
Zwemer'.  Samuel  M..  Islam:  A Challenge  to  Faith. 


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